The Darkest of Hearts
by Angelkitty1
Summary: Even the darkest of souls has feelings... Even the purest of hearts has the potential for malice... Based off of the 2nd movie.


A/N: This is kind of a little take on the Care Bears 2 movie. I guess a sequel in a way that has to do with Dark Heart. I just watched the movie the other day, and realized how cool it would be to delve into the feelings and emotions of Dark Heart. I don't know how this will be, but please review! It's my first Care Bears story. Keep in mind that the reason why Dark Heart has returned and stuff will be in later chapters, just bear with me right now lol.   
  


Chapter 1  
  
  


Deep in the depths of the darkness, a heart beats

A hatred, strong enough to devour the entire world emanates

Fear. Malice. Spite. Anger.

In the blackness "He" waits. Waits for a chance to once again consume the light.

Waits...to lay eyes on what he hates the most...

To once again...destroy...  
  


The darkest of hearts...

* * *   
  


Crimson. That's all that could be seen of the boy. Everything about him was red. His hair. His eyes. No one thought anything of it, though. It was normal. He had always been that way. No one wondered why he never had parents or a home. No one worried about how he lived. He was just there. Always staring, always thinking. The kid in class no one knew... They couldn't know. There were no questions. Everything was...normal.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey, Red!" 

The boy tore his eyes from the sickeningly sunny day he was staring at out the window to gaze into the bright blue ones of the girl sitting beside him. Her name was Kirsti. He knew everything about her. Everything she cared about, everything she knew. She just didn't know it. He knew she thought he was strange, but she didn't know why. He knew that every time she stared at him, she was wondering what person would name a kid a name like Red. 

Her nose crinkled when he didn't answer. "Listen, you don't have to stare like that... It's kind of creepy."

"I know." He mused, running a thin hand through his prestigiously cut crimson hair. His bangs fell down over his eyes as he leaned back in his desk. He put his muddy shoes up on her desk and snickered when she made a disgusted face. 

The girl closed her textbook and snorted. "You're new so I won't really bother you with the class rules just yet, but you should know better than to come in here without wiping your feet." He merely shrugged and tapped the heel hard on the desk, caked mud falling to the floor. Kirsti narrowed her eyes to almost slits and then swung her long brown hair back behind her shoulders. "Well then... I see you really don't have manners." 

The bell rang and the people around them stood and began to file out of the small classroom. Giving another look to Red, Kirsti pulled her backpack onto her back and followed the crowd out into the hall. 

* * * 

Snap.

The lights went out. It was still bright because of the now setting sun, but dark enough to satisfy him. Sighing, he stood and leaned against the off-white classroom walls. It was going to be difficult. 

This was the first time he had approached a subject like this. Usually he went after anyone that had malice in their hearts, but now...after that girl... He clenched his fist and watched with glowing crimson eyes as it began to tremble. Gritting his teeth he swung it back into the wall, and cried out as it broke through the first layer of sheet rock. "Why...?" He growled through his teeth. "Why is it that everyone I go for has to resemble that child?"

It was true. All long brown hair. All named something like her. Ever since that time... Again he cursed. It wasn't as though he couldn't help it. The darkness came back to him and he accepted it...he could have refused. He didn't, though, and it cost him everything. 

It seemed like the darkness wasn't necessarily something he could get rid of by just starting to care. It was something...that he was born with. Something...he could run away from for only so long. He remembered everyday he was alone, he would feel it. The darkness clawing at him, tugging at his very soul. 

He had tried to shrug it away, but he couldn't. The voices would cease, but only until he was unprepared...then they would come back at full force. There was...nothing. And then that day...

"No...I can't think about that." He seethed, grasping his fiery hair with trembling hands. 

Pulling himself together the best he could, he brought a sour crimson stare out into the orange cloud filled sky. "After her...it ends. You...will pay..." He whispered darkly. 

Yes...after her...he could focus. After her...he could live again...

* * * 

"So, Kirsti, are you coming to the party tonight?" 

Startled, Kirsti glanced up from the homework she was doing. Two blonde girls smiled the exact same smile at her. She closed her notebook and set it down on the sidewalk beside her. "Oh, hey Gina, Kimber. I didn't see you guys there." 

She stood slowly and met the twin's emerald stares. "So...are you?" Kimber asked pushing her long locks behind her ears. 

Kirsti shook her head. "I told Grandmother I'd help her put up the Christmas decorations...and..."

Gina stuck out her lip. "Kirsti! You said the same thing last week! You just don't want to hang out with us." 

"No, no that's not it!" Kirsti cried waving her hands in front of her. "I just..."

"You have to go." Gina said hands going to her hips. She swung her head from side to side to get her short shaggy hair out of her eyes. "It will be good for you to get out." 

"Yeah, I mean, after..." Kimber's voice trailed off when Kirsti shot an icy glare towards her.

She hiked her backpack onto her back and scooped up her notebook. "Listen, I don't want to talk about it, alright? Maybe I don't want to go because I don't feel like it. Is that so hard for you two to understand?"

Kimber and Gina both stood in silence, watching their friend's eyes brim with tears. The wind blew, pushing Kirsti's hair in front of her face, a few strands sticking to her now wet cheeks. "Kirsti..." Gina finally sputtered. "I...we...didn't mean..."

"Nothing you say can take away the pain. So don't try." Kirsti spat bitterly and turned from them to make her way hastily down the leaf covered sidewalk. 

Kimber reached into the pocket of the long beige corduroy jacket she was wearing and pulled out a small white knit hat. Angrily she jammed it onto her head and fixed her long hair so that it flowed down in front of her shoulders. "Come on, Gina. If she doesn't want help, then there's nothing we can do."

"I don't feel like she really means it, Kimber." Gina said tightening a light pink scarf under her chin. "She's hurting. We just can't leave her."

Kimber reached out and grasped her sister's pink mittened hand and pulled on it. "When she's ready, she'll come to us. Now, come on, let's go home."

Reluctantly, Gina followed, but not without staring back every now and then at the small trail in the leaves her friend had made. Closing her eyes, she wished Kirsti would find the strength to share her feelings. 

* * * 

"Stupid Gina. Stupid Kimber..." Kirsti muttered to herself, wiping her eyes on her long gray sweater sleeve, and marveling how soaked it was getting. Why did she have to cry in front of them? It just made her look weak. She could handle it. It wasn't as though she didn't realize how stupid she was being. 

Gritting her teeth, she kicked at the brown rotting leaves covering the walkway. Stupid weather as well. It was kind of sunny, yeah, but cold nonetheless. It didn't help her mood any. She sniffed as another wave of tears came. Why was she still crying? 

She stumbled a bit and then stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Her backpack fell and soon after, the notebook. She slumped down and grasped her knees in her arms, burying her head into them. Why did they have to bring it up? And in such an inconsiderate way? Of course she knew she should forget, but how...how could you forget something like that? Her whole life, everything that had ever happened to her... How could she forget? 

Sobbing loudly, she pulled herself over onto a patch of dry grass beside the sidewalk and leaned on a small white picketed fence. The wind blew harder, taking the leaves from the walk high into the air, higher than it probably should have. Tears flowing, she turned her gaze to the now almost purple sky. For once she wished...she was strong enough to forget. She wished...there was a way to end all the pain. A way...to set herself free from the emotions that bound her. Talking to people? No, that was a sign of weakness. She couldn't afford to be that way, but... 

She closed her eyes and let the tears roll down her pink cheeks. "For once...I want to be weak..."

* * * 

Through the air, the brown leaves flew. Up, past the trees, and into the bright orange and purple clouds billowing in the sun streaked sky. Up, past the watchful eye of a very concerned bear. 

Gasping, the greenish blue furred creature snapped closed the star shaped telescope she was looking through. Feet moving faster, than she could handle, the bear slipped on the soft pillowy cloud surface she was standing on and nearly fell. "Oh dear..." She whispered to herself fighting to gain her balance by waving her arms. "I must find Tender Heart...!" 

Over the cloud's surfaces and through roads and pathways of rainbows, the bear scuttled frantically. Even though other bears along the way called out to her, asked what was wrong, or for her to come play, she ignored it. Nothing was this big. She had to find Tender Heart. He was the only one that could make sense of everything. She tucked the telescope under her arm and put her head down as she ran. How, though? How could they help someone with such pain? Normally, it was kids who just thought they didn't belong, or thought no one cared about them. This girl, though, knew people cared. She had friends, but yet...she didn't want to hear sympathy from anyone. Not her friends, not anyone. Not to mention the overwhelming sense of darkness emanating from her feelings... How could the Care Bears help someone with such pain? "Oh, if only True Heart were here, we'd..."

"H-Hey! Wish Bear, watch where you are going...!"   
  
Right at the last second, Wish Bear brought her blue eyed gaze up to see her friend Grumpy Bear shielding himself with his arms. She ran into him at full force and sent the both of them hurdling over the clouds. After a dozen or so somersaults, the two finally slowed down to a mere cloud covered jumble. Wish Bear shook the clouds from her head and pulled out the telescope from under her arm. She regarded it for a minute with a sad face, for it had bent in the tumble. "Oh dear..." She muttered, attempting to straighten it out. 

Grumpy Bear shook the clouds from his head as well and glanced over at her, crossing his arms tight over his raincloud covered tummy. "What's this all about, Wish Bear? You're running around like a crazy bear! There can't possibly be something so wrong that you need to do that."

Wish Bear frowned at her failed attempt to fix the telescope and then shook her head, eyes widening at Grumpy. "No! You don't understand! I was scanning over Earth to see if there was anything wrong and I came across a girl that..." She looked down. "I...really don't know how to help." 

"What do you mean, you don't know how to help? Is it really that bad?"

"Well...it's not just her. That whole town... Something's going on there. Every time the star scope goes over it all I see it blackness, and it seems to be coming from that girl!" Wish Bear cried. 

Grumpy Bear stood and brushed himself off, then lent a helping hand to his friend. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have to find Tender Heart!"

Wish Bear blinked twice. "Well, Grumpy, I was about to ask you where..."

The blue bear shook his head. "No time! Come, on let's go!" He cried grasping her hand and pulling her behind him. "If there's something that big going on, Tender Heart's gotta know!"

Wish Bear nodded and again tucked the star scope underneath her arm. "I just hope he knows what to do..."

* * * 

Kirsti tossed her backpack onto her bed and then laid down beside it. Her Grandmother had told her Kimber and Gina had been calling her nonstop for a good hour, but she didn't care. Right now, she didn't want to talk to anyone. Especially not those two.

Dinner had been quiet. She never talked much to her Grandmother. It wasn't like she had any interesting days to talk about. All she did was stay home, and Kirsti...well she never wanted to talk about anything. Sometimes her Grandmother would ask, but she soon learned that no matter how hard she tried, the girl would never open up, so therefore, she quit. It would have been sad, had Kirsti cared, but she actually considered it a blessing. One less voice she had to hear. 

Rolling over on her side, Kirsti's bright blue eyes settled on a picture by her bed. It was of her, last year, at a picnic. She was smiling broadly, and tousling the hair of a small boy beside her. Growling, she reached out and turned it around. Why she had such a reminder near her, she didn't know. Maybe she liked the pain. Who knows... People were strange sometimes. She sighed and went back to facing the ceiling. "That's right...I am strange..."

"Oh, I wouldn't say you were too strange."

Kirsti suddenly sat up and glanced wildly around. "Wh-what? Who's there?"

Snap.

Off went the lights. ...Now she was scared. 

Swinging her feet off the bed, she reached for a baseball bat tucked in the corner by the wall. Trembling, she brought it up. "I...I have a weapon...D-don't come anywhere near me or I'll..."

A snicker. "I hate to disappoint you, but it would take a lot more than a toy like that to harm me."

Kirstis let the bat fall from her shaking hands. "Please...what do you want? How did you get in here...How...?"

Snap.

A red light shone in the opposite corner and then the lamp in her room flared. She covered her eyes in the blinding light and then put them down when it faded. "I..." She stopped when her eyes focused on the figure standing before her. "R-Red...? How...did you... Why did you...? I..." She couldn't find the words. 

"Yo." The boy said giving a short wave of his hand. When she didn't respond, he smiled and walked over to her desk, hopping onto it and crossing his legs. "I see you are...surprised to see me."

Kirsti gulped and nodded slowly, gazing over his full red and white attire. "Well...yes... It's not everyday a boy sneaks into my room like this..."

He pushed his crimson bangs from his face and grinned. "I wouldn't think much of it. You know you are the only one in class that knew there was something odd about me."

She stepped back and when she ran into her bed, sat down. It was true. It had been only a week or so since this kid had joined the class. The first day, he was sent to introduce himself to the group of teenagers. She remembered that he waltzed up to the front of the classroom, stood on the balls of his feet, smiled, and announced that he had no parents, had no intention of liking anyone in the room and did not care about anything in the entire world. Her mouth had dropped. This kid...was mad! But she remember looking around at her friends and even the people she didn't know, and seeing them...smile, like they didn't hear anything he had said! After that, she had just assumed that she was hearing things, but that didn't erase the fact that he always stared at her, and insisted on sitting in the seat next to her. She tried to ignore him, but it never worked.

No one inquired about him, no one noticed anything. She remembered just the other day, she talked to Gina and told her she thought the boy was a little weird. Her friend had given her a shocked look and said "That Red kid? Well he's a wonderful person! Remember how he said he did all that community work and was studying to be a doctor?" Kirsti remembered giving her a shocked look right back, but then started thinking maybe she was the one that was a little weird. But now...this. 

Instead of admitting what she was thinking, she forced a smile back, and crossed her legs. "I...don't know what you are talking about."

Red laughed. "Oh don't be like that. I know you are frightened." His crimson eyes narrowed. "I feed off of the fear you feel..."

"Okay, now you are really freaking me out..." She whispered, pulling her legs onto her bed. "What are you?"

Flashing another grin, the boy stood and threw out his arms, the long red jacket he was wearing flowing. "Why, I'm the answer to all of your prayers! I came...to this place for you and only you."

"I don't...understand."

He shook his head. "You shouldn't have any trouble. You wished for strength...and I'm here to give it to you!"

Kirsti cast a wary eye in his direction. "You...can give me strength...for...what?"

"To overcome all of your problems. The strength...to be everything you've ever dreamed of."

She shook her head and jumped off from her bed. "You don't make any sense. I want you out of my room right now, Red and I never want to see your insane self ever again..." She stopped when he reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. 

"I can tell you anything about yourself. Ask me anything and I will tell you. I know...all..." He whispered darkly, pulling her close. 

She could do nothing but stare in the crimson voids of his eyes. She wanted to pull away, to run, to scream, but she couldn't. Her gaze was glued to his. "I..." Her mouth struggled to form words but couldn't...

He smirked. "All of your life...everyone you've ever loved has died. Your parents...your friends...your..."

"No...please don't..." She managed to whisper, eyes filling with tears.

"Even your brother, whom you watched over night and day to make sure nothing happened to him." He whispered pulling her streaming face closer. "Even he was taken away. You won't love, you won't get close. You hate...everyone."

"No...I don't..."

"You have to..." He said softly. "Or they will die too..."

"No!" She cried pulling away. "They won't die! They can't die..."

Red smiled and settled back into his lounging position on her desk. "I can make the pain disappear, Kirsti."

Wiping her eyes messily on her sleeve, she hiccuped a bit. "H-how...How could you possibly take that kind of pain away?"

"Oh...I can do many things. Look..." Through tear filled eyes, she followed his hand as it began to glow red. Fingers spreading, the red light seemed to dissipate into a thousand tiny sparkles, shimmering, floating in the air. He smiled, and moved his hand in a few complicated motions, the sparkles flittering after his nimble fingers, making odd shapes and shifting erratically. She jumped when he suddenly snapped and they fell into a lifeless pile on her hardwood floor. 

She clutched her sweater sleeve and narrowed her eyes. "I...what did you just do...?"

"Shh..." Red whispered, finger on his lips. "Give him time."

"...Him...?"

As if to answer her, a tiny hand burst from the pile of red sparkling ashes and hit the floor, the tiny fingers curling to grasp whatever they could. Kirsti watched, blue eyes widening, as the hand turned into an arm, and then a full person, pulling themself from beneath the floor it seemed. Shaggy brown hair. Bright blue eyes, not unlike her own. 

Kirsti's eyes welled up with even more tears as the small boy's name came to her trembling lips. 

"...Caleb..."

* * * 

"Okay now, Care Bears! Let's get everything ready! True Heart and Noble Heart are due back any day now! We don't want them to think everything's gone shabby, now do we?"

"No sir! Tender Heart, Sir!"

"Cheer Bear...there's no need to be...so cheery. There's too much work to do."

"But...I can't help but to be cheerful..."

Inside the main building of Care-a-lot was abuzz with furry creatures running this way and that. Everything had to be perfect, for their "parents" were coming home from completing missions on the other side of the world. They had been gone for a good few months, but had sent a message by star to inform everyone of their return. Ever since then, the whole place was filled with frantic scurrying as bears attempted to prepare the best welcoming home party ever. It was hard, though, with so many bears...accidents were bound to happen. 

At the very moment Funshine Bear decided to put the finishing touches on the cake she made, in front of the door, Grumpy Bear and Wish Bear barged in. The result, three bears covered in icing, two giggling slightly and one crossing his arms and snorting. 

Startled by the commotion, Tender Heart made his way through the crowd of chuckling Care Bears. "Grumpy...Wish Bear...what's going on? What's the hurry?"

Hesitating only to lick the frosting from her nose, Wish Bear jumped up. "Oh, Tender Heart I'm so glad you're here! We need to call a Care Bear Family meeting!"

"...What for?" Tender Heart asked, alarmed. "The Caring Meter hasn't budged in days. There doesn't seem to be much wrong..."

"No! You don't understand! I think something's clouding the meter! I saw..." She lifted up the star scope and brought it to her eye. "Dark clouds forming over earth. Something's going on and I'm not sure what it is..."

Tender Heart bit down on the pen he was holding and gazed down at the floor. "Come to think of it, I've been feeling something in the air. Actually, I think we all have." He looked up. "But...what could it be?"

"Could it be...something like Dark Heart?" 

Gasping and clapping their hands over their mouths, the bears all turned to Share Bear who shrugged. Tender Heart shook his head. "But...we saw. We saw Dark Heart return to normal. I don't think..."

"I think Share Bear's onto something, though. Maybe there is something out there... Shouldn't we check it out? Make sure it's fixed before True Heart and Noble Heart get back?" Funshine Bear asked. 

"As much as I hate to say it, you're right Funshine. The last thing True Heart and Noble Heart need is a mission like Dark Heart." Tender Heart said frankly. 

"Who should go?"

Tender Heart thought for a second. "Well, Friend Bear and Secret Bear are pretty good scouts. They could go, along with some of the cousins if they want." 

Friend Bear and Secret Bear stepped up. Secret Bear leaned over and began frantically whispering in Friend's ear. She smiled. "Secret Bear says he's glad to go, but only if he gets to drive." The other bears giggled for a minute and then looked back at Tender Heart who's expression had not changed. 

He stared out at the Caring Meter, who's hands were still pointing to maximum caring on Earth. "I just don't understand...but there's nothing else we can do." He looked over at Wish Bear. "While Friend Bear and Secret Bear are gone, we'll call a meeting and anticipate the worst..." He bit down harder on the pen. "Something tells me, this might not end very well..."

"I'll go get the cousins!" Good Luck Bear cried dashing out of the large heart shaped door. 

"Bears! Alright, I want the rest of you to continue preparing for the party! There's nothing that's going to stop us from having a good time!" Tender Heart cried. After a moment's hesitation, the rest of the bears nodded and dispersed to their duties. 

Wish Bear and Grumpy lingered. "Do you think everything's going to be alright?"

Tender Heart's large brown eyes again gazed at the Caring Meter. "We can only hope..."  


A/N: Alright, so that's that. I'll write more, if I get positive feedback. If not, it's okay, I'm trying to finish this other fic I've been working on for almost a year. Thanks for reading though! *casts a wary eye over at the review button*  
  
  


  
  



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